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8 Different Homemade Lemonade Recipes

By Melissa

5 from 1 vote

on Jul 02, 2017, Updated Aug 22, 2024

8 Different Homemade Lemonade Recipes all in one place! Learn how to make lemonade with fresh lemons or lemon juice in flavors like strawberry, raspberry, and even watermelon and tropical lemonade.

Homemade lemonade is my jam and I’ve been dreaming about this post for years now. In previous years, I’ve made fresh made-to-order lemonades at our local farmers market in addition to selling fruit and vegetables I grew, homemade baked goods, and handmade aprons.

I’d try a few new flavor variations each week and I had so much fun seeing peoples faces when you offered them choices like strawberry rhubarb, tropical, and even watermelon lemonade. Some people wanted to be adventurous and some people wanted to stick with favorite classics like traditional, strawberry, or raspberry. No matter what your favorite homemade lemonade is, I have you covered.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

• Offers a variety of refreshing fruit options like strawberry, peach, and raspberry.
• Simple steps make it a breeze to prepare in under 20 minutes.
• Ideal for hot days, providing a cooling and flavorful beverage.
• Adjust the sweetness to your preference by varying the amount of sugar.

Recipe Ingredients

• Fresh or frozen fruit – Such as raspberries, watermelon, peaches, strawberries, blackberries, or a tropical mix.
• Sugar – Granulated
• Lemon Juice
• Lemon – Sliced for serving, optional

See the recipe card below for full information on ingredients and quantities 

How to Make 8 Different Homemade Lemonade Recipes

Step #1. Make simple syrup by heating water, desired fruit, and sugar in a saucepan until the sugar dissolves. Boil, then simmer for 3-6 minutes until fruit is soft.

Step #2. Mash fruit, let it steep, then strain the mixture into a bowl, pressing the fruit to extract juice.

Step #3. Transfer syrup to a heat-resistant container and chill in the fridge.

Step #4. In a pitcher, combine syrup, lemon juice, and water. Stir well and serve over ice, garnished with fruit.

Recipe FAQs

Expert Tips

• Ensure the simple syrup is well-chilled before mixing to maintain the drink’s coolness. If you don’t want to wait for the simple syrup to chill, you can make the lemonade as directed but instead of adding water, add ice. Let some of the ice melt then taste it before adding more ice or water.
• If you are making any of the fruit varieties, you are going to need a fine mesh strainer and a bowl to strain into. I used a 4-cup Pyrex measuring cup and it worked great (I love that it has a handle, too!).
• Add fresh fruit slices for a visually appealing presentation.
• If you’d like to add herbs, you can add them when making the simple syrup or you can just add a sprig or two to each cup and muddle them (crush to release the flavor and oils) after adding your lemonade. I love fresh mint in my lemonade!
• The lemonade will be a little strong, so be sure to serve it over at least a 1/2 cup of ice. If you aren’t serving it over ice, be sure to chill the lemonade well before serving and add 1 to 2 cups more water to suit your taste.
• If your fruit isn’t very sweet, you might want to add an additional half cup of fruit to your simple syrup (I find that strawberries and the tropical fruit mix often need that extra 1/2 cup).
• Don’t skip the straining part for the watermelon lemonade, watermelon tends to feel a little gritty in your mouth when it’s pureed.

How to Serve and Store Homemade Lemonade

Lemonade is a perfect refreshing treat for any time of day, but if you are looking to pair it with a dinner, try it with my grilled chicken tacos, shrimp fajitas, grilled fish, grilled Mahi Mahi, or beef short ribs. Try my pink lemonade cupcakes for dessert! Other lemonade recipes you have to try are my made to order lemonade and strawberry rhubarb lemonade.

Keep the lemonade in a covered pitcher in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. To freeze, pour the lemonade into ice cube trays. Once frozen, transfer the cubes to a freezer-safe bag and store for up to 3 months. These cubes can be used to chill and flavor water or other drinks.

More Summer Recipes to Consider

Salads

Chicken Bacon Ranch Salad

Summer Recipes

Strawberry Rhubarb Lemonade

Smoothies

Blueberry Smoothie 

Soups, Stews & Chowders

Cornstarch Slurry for Thickening

Did you make this recipe? Leave a ⭐️ review and share it on Instagram, Facebook, or Pinterest!

5 from 1 vote

Strawberry, Peach, Tropical, Raspberry, or Blackberry Lemonade Recipes

By: Melissa Griffiths

This summer drink recipe is for making fruit-infused lemonades like strawberry lemonade, peach lemonade, and raspberry lemonade. If you've grown tired of the traditional lemonade recipe, try these fun fruit variations!

Prep: 15 minutes mins

Cook: 5 minutes mins

Total: 20 minutes mins

Servings: 1 /2 gallon

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Ingredients 

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For the fruit simple syrup for raspberry, peach, strawberry, blackberry, or tropical lemonade:

• ▢ 1 cup fresh or frozen fruit, (such as raspberries, peaches, strawberries, blackberries, or a tropical mix)
• ▢ 2 cups water
• ▢ 1 cup sugar

For the raspberry, peach, strawberry, blackberry, or tropical lemonade:

• ▢ fruit simple syrup
• ▢ 1 cup lemon juice
• ▢ 3-4 cups water
• ▢ ice, at least 2 cups
• ▢ sliced lemon or additional fruit for serving, optional

For the fruit simple syrup for traditional lemonade:

• ▢ 1 cup sugar
• ▢ 2 cups water

For the traditional lemonade:

• ▢ simple syrup
• ▢ 1 cup lemon juice
• ▢ 4 cups water
• ▢ ice,, at least 2 cups
• ▢ sliced lemon for serving,, optional

For the fruit simple syrup for watermelon lemonade:

• ▢ 2 cups cubed watermelon, seeds and rind removed
• ▢ 1 cup sugar
• ▢ 1 cup water

For the watermelon lemonade:

• ▢ watermelon puree
• ▢ 1 cup lemon juice
• ▢ 3 –4 cups water
• ▢ ice
• ▢ sliced lemon for serving, optional

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Instructions 

Instructions for  raspberry, peach, strawberry, blackberry, or tropical lemonade:

• In a medium saucepan, heat the 2 cups of water, 1 cup of fresh or frozen fruit, and 1 cup of sugar for the simple syrup over medium high heat until the sugar is dissolved. Stir it often. Bring the mixture to a boil, and then reduce the heat and let it simmer for 3-6 minutes until the fruit is soft.
• Remove the pan from the heat. Use a potato masher to crush the fruit. Let the mixture stand for 10 minutes while the fruit steeps in the hot water.
• Set a fine mesh strainer over a medium-sized bowl (a 4-cup Pyrex measuring cup works well for this) and pour the hot fruit simple syrup through the strainer. Use the back of a spoon to press the fruit against the strainer to remove all of the extra juice. Discard the pulp or seeds (or feed it to your chickens!).
• Place the fruit simple syrup in a heat-resistant container (a mason jar with a lid works well for this) and then let it chill in the fridge.
• In a large pitcher, add the simple syrup, lemon juice, and 3-4 cups of water. Stir to combine well. Serve over ice and garnish with sliced lemon and/or additional fruit.

Instruction for traditional lemonade:

• In a small saucepan, heat the 2 cups of water and 1 cup of sugar for the simple syrup over medium high heat until the sugar is dissolved. Stir it often. The mixture doesn’t need to boil but it will be steamy and hot. Place the simple syrup in a heat-resistance container (a mason jar with a lid works well for this) and refrigerate until chilled.
• In a large pitcher, add the simple syrup, lemon juice, and 5 cups of water. Stir to combine well. Serve over ice and garnish with a lemon.

Quick instructions for traditional lemonade:

• In a large pitcher, add 2 cups of hot tap water. Add the cup of sugar and stir until the sugar is dissolved.
• Add the lemon juice, 4-5 cups of cold water, and 2 cups of ice. Stir well to combine. Serve right away.

Instructions for watermelon lemonade:

• In a blender, combine the watermelon, water, and sugar. Blend on high for 1 minute to dissolve the sugar.
• Pour the watermelon puree through a fine mesh strainer.
• Add the watermelon puree to a large pitcher, add the lemon juice and additional water, and stir well to combine.
• Serve over ice with sliced lemon as a garnish.

Video

Notes

• The lemonade will be a little strong, so be sure to serve it over at least a 1/2 cup of ice. If you aren’t serving it over ice, be sure to chill the lemonade well before serving and add 1 to 2 cups more water to suit your taste.
• If you don’t want to wait for the simple syrup to chill, you can make the lemonade as directed but instead of adding water, add ice. Let some of the ice melt then taste it before adding more ice or water.
• If your fruit isn’t very sweet, you might want to add an additional half cup of fruit to your simple syrup (I find that strawberries and the tropical fruit mix often need that extra 1/2 cup).
• You can find a tropical fruit mix in most frozen sections. It should have pineapple, mango, and strawberry in it (and maybe even papaya).
• Don’t skip the straining part for the watermelon lemonade, watermelon tends to feel a little gritty in your mouth when it’s pureed.

Nutrition

Serving: 1 of 8 cups, Calories: 113kcal, Carbohydrates: 29g, Protein: 0.1g, Fat: 0.1g, Saturated Fat: 0.003g, Sodium: 9mg, Potassium: 27mg, Fiber: 0.5g, Sugar: 28g, Vitamin A: 89IU, Vitamin C: 1mg, Calcium: 6mg, Iron: 0.1mg

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